I Burn

Album: Rubberneck (1994)
Play Video
  • Driftin' upward
    Gently lifting
    Lazy on the wind

    Rollin' over
    Turnin' slowly
    Beginning and the end

    Fire is bright
    Fire is clean
    Never so alive

    Smoke is freedom
    Flame is mercy
    I am free tonight

    And I burn
    I burn

    Stoke the embers
    Cleanse the spirit
    A prayer in every spark

    Feel the lick of
    Bad religion
    The finish and the start

    In the beginning
    We were smarter
    And the flame was heaven-sent

    Through the ages
    We got stupid
    Now we must repent

    And I burn
    I burn

    Sift the ashes
    For reminders
    Stony things remain

    Tooth and bone
    Unimpressive
    I have left these things

    Because fire is bright
    Fire is clean
    Efficient and divine

    Tooth and bone
    Charms and dolls
    I am free tonight

    I'm on
    The air
    You breathe

    I'm on
    The air
    You Breathe

    I'm on
    The air
    You breathe

    I burn
    I burn
    I burn Writer/s: TODD LEWIS
    Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 4

  • Violetagogo19 from UsaI’m currently reading Fahrenheit 451 and immediately recognized the line “Fire is bright and fire is clean,” as the song lyrics in I Burn. I was surprised to not find my theory backed up on the internet.
  • Misinterpreted from UsaLmao.. all these years I thought this song was about getting stoned.
  • Charles from Chattanooga, Tnquote| Ryan form Usa: Is there no connection to Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451?

    THATS WHAT I THOUGHT, TOO! A couple years ago, Vaden Todd Lewis was very forthcoming about the meanings of I Burn and Possum Kingdom. The mystery is now lifted: I Burn is about a cult who jump into this giant bonfire to achieve the higher plane or whatever. Possum Kingdom is about the ghost of one of the cult members who self immolated, trying to lure others into killing themselves and joining them in their lonely, barren existence. :)
  • Ryan from UsaIs there no connection to Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451? The lines

    "In the beginning
    We were smarter
    And the flame was heaven-sent

    Through the ages
    We got stupid
    Now we must repent"

    closely follow themes expressed in the book. The character Beatty more or less explicitly verbalizes those ideas, and indeed at the end of such a rant he utters the line "Fire is bright and fire is clean", which this song seems to quote. Also [[spoiler alert]] the novel does feature self-immolates, which could have been the connection to the dream Vaden Todd Lewis describes.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Who Wrote That Song?

Who Wrote That Song?Music Quiz

Do you know who wrote Patti Smith's biggest hit? How about the Grease theme song? See if you can match the song to the writer.

In The Cards

In The CardsSong Writing

Songwriters have used cards and card games to make sense of heartache, togetherness, and even Gonorrhea.

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)Songwriter Interviews

Mike Rutherford talks about the "Silent Running" storyline and "Land Of Confusion" in the age of Trump.

Queen

QueenFact or Fiction

Scaramouch, a hoople and a superhero soundtrack - see if you can spot the real Queen stories.

Charlie Benante of Anthrax

Charlie Benante of AnthraxSongwriter Interviews

The drummer for Anthrax is also a key songwriter. He explains how the group puts their songs together and tells the stories behind some of their classics.

Rick Astley

Rick AstleySongwriter Interviews

Rick Astley on "Never Gonna Give You Up," "Cry For Help," and his remarkable resurgence that gave him another #1 UK album.